At least 87 employees, including doctors, health workers, and office assistants, of the health office and district hospital in Salyan have not received their salaries for the past two months due to the absence of the office chief at the health office. 

According to Dr Abhishek Singh, Doctor of Medicine in General Practice (MDGP) at the hospital, the Ministry of Social Development, Karnali Province, has yet to appoint the chief for the health office. 

As a result, the salaries could not be paid even ahead of the Dashain festival, a time when people need money.

The employees are returning home empty-handed this festival season. Along with the salary, the hospital has been facing a shortage of free medicines for more than three weeks, said Singh.